Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Amsterdam, as the capital city of the Netherlands as well as a highly popular destination for tourists, finds itself the most notable UG district within the country. Although it is generally an overall enjoyable place to reside in with a high quality of life, hence the temptation for many to live there (RG and UG alike), the Reapers operate under a certain, unique system that outsiders may or may not comprehend. As much as the citizenship likes to believe their city (and country) is a paradise, the petty crime rate is very high, with undercurrents of drug-related activity and an infamous red-light district. The culture there is generally very welcoming and friendly to outsiders, yet it is one with blunt honesty that many other cultures aren't used to. Nevertheless, it remains a pleasant place to be -- whether one stays for a week or for a lifetime, or any length of time -- and it is a beautiful city boasting a system of canals, many iconic buildings or otherwise places of interest, and plenty of unique activities. Current Standing Officers Producer: Farina Kennels Composer: Mariska Alderliesten Conductor: Rafaël Keizer Other Notable Officers: Tobias de Jaager, Steven van Alstine, Sabine Vaugeois, Mia Marland About There are typically three to six Games per year in Amsterdam, with an average of 15 to 20 players per game. Although it is an 'easy' district to be selected as a Player within, being that a little over half of the deceased meet the Imagination requirements to play the Game, the Composer typically selects only one pair to be offered revival from those who defeat the GM; other remaining Players are offered Reapership. Amsterdam differs somewhat from standard Reapers' Games in that there are no Harrier/Active Reapers at all; the Supports handle both roles, with the requirement that they must participate in one wall AND one noise fight minimum per day, rather than only one or the other as the base requirement to continue existing in the UG. However, as the Dutch are typically very hard-working, and the district size is much larger than many others, most Amsterdam supports run one wall, and multiple fights per day, generally after their wall is cleared by one Player pair. Each fight is run with two Supports -- all the number-counting, scoring, and keeping the Players in line is handled by one Support, the Noise sent out and watched by another. Most of the time, Players aren't eliminated by Noise before day 7, but there are usually at least one or two Players that do get erased by Noise during each Game week. As the lack of Harriers would normally provide an overabundance of Game winners, Amsterdam also requires each Player Pair (as opposed to just one Player Pair) to complete the mission daily in order to survive to the next day. This tends to weed out the lazier Players, unskilled Players, and those who aren't pulling their weight. Many of the themes and missions in the Games involve bolstering business and trade, owing to Amsterdam's origins as a center of international trade. Some missions also ascribe to the relative environmentalism of the Dutch. The mission times in Amsterdam Games are generally longer than average Games, on account of the wider area the players interact within. Amsterdam's Game also reflects the city's bicycle-friendly culture, offering Players the option to buy heavily discounted bikes from certain decalled stores to get around the city easier. All Reapers also are offered bikes upon employment, as well as free ride passes on all forms of public transportation within the city area. As in other districts, sometimes a Player is offered Reaperhood instead of erasure. When a particularly skilled, motivated or determined Player, whose partner wasn't putting in the same level of effort, did not get the chance to complete the mission because their partner was found lacking, they will often be given the option of becoming a Reaper after their partner is erased. Hierarchy The system the Reaper hierarchy in Amsterdam uses dates back to World War II. When the current Composer, Mariska, took over, the district was in a state of chaos, with the Reapers struggling to retain the peace with internal and external conflict and the UG running more Games per year. Mariska's system provided clear and strict rules on Reaper behavior and the roles of each type, and delegated the Game-relevant responsibilities, between them. Each officer was placed in charge of a small number of Supports, who would all live with the Officer. This Officer, in any given Reaper-occupied household, would provide the monetary support and keep track of finances, and the Reapers under them would be assigned various chores, errands and housekeeping tasks. Today, the system is far less strict, and the hierarchy became far more peaceful, though very strange to the Reapers of other districts -- many drawing parallels to S&M lifestyles. However, the Amsterdam Reapers themselves are usually very happy with the way they live. The Officers are usually very caring and compassionate with their Supports -- often in-district nicknamed as subordinate Reapers, or 'subs' -- who are just as devoted and trusting of the Officers. Many of the Supports do their domestic tasks with zeal, and the Officers work hard to deliver anything the Reapers under their care might need, or want. On occasion, Officers have even been known to work 'too hard' or work for longer and/or more often than necessary for their subordinates. If a Support Reaper is offered a promotion to Officer, they will be given three to six months in which their current Officer trains them on everything the Reaper might need to know for the transition. Even after the transition, Officers with this relation tend to remain close. Support Reapers are also allowed to transfer between Officers, although generally this is a last resort. Most prefer to communicate any problems, and "talk it out". History Just as WWII began, a group of temporary overflow districts were generated to handle the resulting influx of capable souls to become Players. The Imagination requirements were heightened, and even with the temporary overflow districts, the number of Players who were routed to Amsterdam's UG reached new heights. Chaos ensued, allowing the former Composer and Conductor to become stressed, and two Officers took the matter into their own hands. Mariska Alderliesten became Composer, and her fellow officer, Rafaël Keizer, took the position of Conductor, after the pair eliminated the previous Composer and Conductor. The first thing Mariska did was to establish the new hierarchy to organize the Reapers and create a system to make the Games more efficient. She then promoted a number of current, capable Supports and Harriers to Officer, rid the future system of the Harriers as a role completely, and also allowed more of the Players whose Partners had been erased to become Reapers -- with the option to transfer out of Amsterdam when the opportunity arose. After the war's end and a relative calm settled, some Reapers transferred out to other districts, others stayed. The new system stuck, and when the Imagination requirements were lowered, the district stabilized. Gradually, the district's Reapers became more and more friendly and relaxed with each other, and the UG evolved into what it is today. Trivia * Many Amsterdam Players and Reapers aren't necessarily originally from Amsterdam itself, or even Dutch. Many times, the Players are immigrants, of mixed descent, from another area, from foreign countries, possibly even tourists. Generally, Amsterdam handles all the potential Players that die within the city region, regardless of where their 'home' is located. * Many who are accepted into the game are well over age 20, some reaching into their 30s and even 40s. It is rare to see an underage (under 18) Player, let alone a Reaper, although not unheard of. * The average height of those living in the Netherlands was 6' for men and 5' 7" for women; as a result, the Netherlands has a worldwide reputation for its citizens being tall. Reapers of Dutch descent tend to be even taller than the average, but this is not necessarily the case for all Reapers, especially not Reapers of another ethnicity. Category:Districts Category:Retconned District